Common Scorpionfly

Panorpa communis belongs to Panorpidae in the order Mecoptera. Linnaeus described the species in 1758. [3]

An elongated, beak-like head precedes the patterned wings. Males have an upturned terminal genital structure; females lack this enlarged appendage. [1]

British adults occur on vegetation along hedgerows and woodland edges, including nettles and bramble. The Hampshire collection includes a male taken in Botley Wood in 2007. [1]

Eggs are placed in moist surroundings. The developing larvae feed on dead insects or other decaying organic material. [1]

Adults scavenge soft tissues of dead invertebrates and decaying material. They may obtain insect remains from spider webs, using the elongated mouthparts to feed. [1]

Courtship incorporates a nuptial food gift. Before such gifts, the studied European scorpionflies perform slow wing movements accompanied by rapid abdominal vibrations, producing substrate-borne signals rather than an exclusively airborne display. [1][2]

A comparative study of P. communis, P. germanica and P. alpina found that the number of dark wing spots and the proportion of pigmented area could assign individuals to species and sex with high accuracy. Across the three species, forewing length correlated positively with average signal amplitude and the interval between vibration pulses. [2]

The name scorpionfly refers to the male’s curved abdominal tip, a reproductive structure without a sting. [1]